Is Jobe Bellingham coming back to Sunderland?
Romaine Mundle has spoken out on Instagram after Régis Le Bris confirmed the winger is close to a comeback
Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle has broken his silence as he edges towards a long-awaited return from injury.
The 22-year-old has endured a difficult few months after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury during the club’s pre-season trip to Portugal. Having worked hard to return for last season’s play-off campaign, Mundle was forced to undergo surgery over the summer – but is now nearing the final stages of his recovery.
Head coach Régis Le Bris recently confirmed that the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster is “very close” to rejoining full training and could be back in contention shortly after the November international break. Posting on Instagram, Mundle wrote: “Been a year full of highs and lows, but we thank God for blessing me to see another year.”
Le Bris added that specialists have cleared Mundle and that the club’s medical staff are taking a cautious approach to ensure there is no recurrence. His return will be a welcome boost ahead of a busy winter schedule and the upcoming AFCON absences.
Le Bris said: “Any player wants to be in the squad, and the injury in Portugal was really disappointing for him because he worked really hard in the summer to be at his best level. He is really close, now. He had his last appointment with the specialist about his injury, and he was given the green light. So he should be connected with the squad within a couple of weeks.
“It's really important [to be careful] and avoid a reinjury, but this is what the surgery was designed for. Conservative treatment was an option, but because he had a second injury, the staff decided it was the best option to go for surgery. The feedback from that surgery was really positive, so he should be stronger. So now it is just a question of confidence, and he will need maybe two weeks to be 100%.”
What else did Régis Le Bris say about Sunderland’s wingers?
Le Bris believes Sunderland’s wide players will prove themselves at Premier League level with time but admits the positions remain open for competition.
While the Sunderland head coach has quickly established a settled core to his starting XI during an impressive start to the top-flight campaign, the wide areas have seen frequent rotation. Le Bris has regularly experimented with his options, even using midfielder Enzo Le Fée on the left in recent weeks.
Speaking ahead of Sunderland’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday, Le Bris was asked whether strengthening the flanks could be a priority in January. The Frenchman said it was too early to make that kind of assessment, stressing instead the complexity of the role for those currently competing for places.
He noted that playing out wide in his system demands not only attacking quality but also significant defensive discipline and understanding of the team’s structure. "It's part of the process, especially with the wingers," Le Bris said.
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"I think that this position is really hard to play because you have to defend, you have to attack. You have to sprint, to counter press and then you have to be efficient in both boxes. It's really demanding and especially in our game model and our way of playing. It just takes time. We need to support and challenge our players, but we trust them.
"At the minute, it's fair to say this part of the pitch needs development, but we believe these players can compete at the level. It's a question of time, they need support and they need challenging because this league is very demanding, but I repeat: we trust them."
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